Fires result in significant losses of life and property each year, and have a great impact and cost on society. To combat fire related losses, fire retardant materials have been developed, such as chemicals that can be applied to a combustible object to reduce flammability or retard the spread of fire over its surface. Such materials are commonly applied to textiles and building materials where fire resistance is particularly desirable. Many fire retardants are synthetic phosphorus and/or halogen-containing compounds for example, but such chemicals can create other problems concerning health and safety due to toxicity issues for example. Therefore, there remains a need for improved non-toxic fire retardant compositions that can be applied to or incorporated into building materials, textiles, and other objects and materials where fire resistance is desirable.
It would be desirable to provide fire retardant materials that could be used in a variety of manners and in or with a variety of products to impart fire retarding or flame resistant/fire retardant characteristics and attributes. For example, it may be desirable to protect building structures from wildfires, and the use of fire retarding construction materials may provide some protection. But due to the nature of the fires, which can burn very hot, even use of such materials may not be sufficient to protect a structure. It may be desirable to provide the ability to coat a structure with a fire retardant material in a fire emergency to enhance protection of the structure. Building materials incorporating or formed of the fire retardant materials could also provide protection. It would also be desirable to allow non-toxic fire retardant materials to be used in textile articles or other materials to provide desired fire retardant characteristics to the articles or products made therefrom, such as clothing, carpet, or many other products. It may also be desirable to provide a fire retardant material that can be incorporated into other products or materials to add flame or fire resistance. There is an ongoing need to improve the flame retardant materials to impart flame-retardant attributes while being non-toxic and easily produced. It is also desirable to provide fire retardant materials wherein the materials are halogen-free to reduce smoke and toxicity.
Algae are plantlike protists, which are eukaryotic, unicellular or multicellular organisms. Like plants, algae have chloroplasts, and their cells are strengthened by a cell wall. Algae refer to aquatic organisms that carry on photosynthesis, and are typically part of a fresh water system's phytoplankton. Algae may be classified according to its color, which come in a variety of color such as green Chlorophyta, brown Phaeaphyta, golden brown Chrysphyta, and red Rhodophyta. Cladophora and Chara are green algae, and are comprised of filaments that are branched, and often spaced from one another. Fronds are the whole system of branched filaments and are generally attached to materials or a substrate. Fronds of Cladophora and Chara are frequently covered with epiphytic diatoms or calcium salts in a natural environment, and in the present invention, such materials are generally removed in a refining process as will be described. When growth conditions are favorable, Cladophora and Chara reproduce asexually. The adult alga divides, forming zoospores or flagellated spores that are smaller than the parent cell. A spore is a haploid body that develops into a mature adult. When growth conditions are unfavorable, Cladophora reproduces sexually. Gametes from two different mating gametes come into contact and join to form a zygote. When a zygospore germinates, it produces four zoospores by meiosis. A heavy wall forms around the zygote and it becomes a resistant zygospore, which is able to survive until conditions are favorable for germination. The zoospores are haploid and when released, grow into adult algal filaments. Isogamy is the condition where gametes are identical. These gametes are known as isogametes.
Cladophora and Chara algae occur naturally in fresh water, such as ponds or the Great Lakes, where the algae can be produced in mass, and in the presence of fertilizers that promote growth in such water environments, the algae can be a serious problem. Their removal and consumption can be a positive for the environment. Alternatively, where the algae are not naturally available, they can be produced in interior environments using tanks or the like with grow lights that promote plant growth by emitting an electromagnetic spectrum appropriate for photosynthesis. The emitted light spectrum may be similar to that from the sun, allowing indoor growth with outdoor conditions. It is known that natural daylight has a high color temperature (approx. 6000 K) and appears bluish, and through the use of the color rendering index, lighting systems have been developed to match the natural color of regular sunlight. Factors that can be controlled to facilitate growth of the algae are light, temperature, the chemical composition and acidity or alkalinity of the water. For high production, the water environment is exposed to sunlight (natural or artificial) to allow for photosynthesis, with the Cladophora or Chara grown in a shallow water environment. In a tank or the like, walls may be made of glass or plastic to allow light into lower portions thereof to promote growth in all areas of the tank. The temperature of the water should be maintained warm, such as in the range of 50-80 degrees F. for example, and the water conditioned with inorganic compounds, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, other nitrates and carbon dioxide, to promote the growth of the Cladophora algae. In this manner, sufficient quantities of Cladophora may be produced for desired applications.